URGENT!!! Help!

[GrrrArg]

I;'ve been helping out in a class recently and have found out just a few mins ago that the instructor can't make it down there tommorrow morning so I will be taking the class on my own.

 

We are expecting a bunch of new students down there as well so do any of you guys have any ideas on a lesson plan I can use. Im thinking some good solid basics for the first half but for the second half I would like some ideas for stuff the higher grades can do whilst im focusing on the new guys a bit.

 

Any help would be greatly apreciated

[Shorinryu Sensei]

You have 5 years of training in that system and are a brown belt. Certainly you have some idea of what you would like to do?

 

Anyway, keep to the normal routine as much as possible. Do your normal warmups and whatever you do in a normal class to get ready to train.

 

I'd avoid sparring, as it could open the dojo and sensei up to liability to have an "underling" (no offense meant here) running that aspect of class.

 

Work a lot on techniques you are very comfortable working with. Don't try to impress the class with anything new of fancy. Kata are a good way to eat up class time in your situation also.

 

Be confident and in charge. Think to yourself.."What would sensei do here?"

 

I hope this helps a little?

 

In my class, brown belts start learning how to teach and get the chance to teach about once/twice per month.

[GrrrArg]

Thanks.

 

I would be fine with this normally but its the new starters (about 6 people are expected for their first lesson) that make it a bit more akward. That and im currently in a bit of a breakthrough phase with my training, im getting better fast but to do so I had to realise I wasn't as good as I thought I was.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of doing some kata and combinations with the higher grades and some very basic combos with the lower grades at the same time.

[WolverineGuy]

Every once in a while its not a bad idea to take the higher ups and say "all right, what do YOU think you need to work on."

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Every once in a while its not a bad idea to take the higher ups and say "all right, what do YOU think you need to work on."

 

Agreed...good idea WG.

 

If you have 6 new people for their first lesson, I'd get the advanced belts working on something they can do pretty much unbsupervised, such as one-steps/self-defense techniques against, for example, a front grab. We do those a lot and my people can do them without my help most of the time.

 

Then you should take the newbies (aka "fresh meat" ) and start them on the basics. Blocks, stances, kicks. I don't know how klong your class is, but that should easily take up an hour to an hour and a half just for those. By then, you can have the advanced people working on their kata. Have each senior student take turns and call each kata 3-5 times. Have the next senior student in attendance watch the kata and make corrections. That's very good practice for them also, or if you want, you can do that and have that senior student work for a while with the new students on their basics.

 

Let me know how it went.

[Sasori_Te]

Here's another idea. Have the upper ranks take a new person and show them their basic techniques. This will give you an opportunity to have the whole class work on the same material. You can then walk around and double check what is being shown. Also, this will allow the other upper ranks to see how well they know their basic material. After all, you don't really know something until you've had to teach it to someone else. If you have a lot more upper ranks than new people break them up into groups of 3 or 4.

[White Warlock]

Hehe, i get the impression your instructor intentionally dropped this on your lap. Welcome to the frying pan.

[GrrrArg]

Turns out that my instructor and the classes normal instructor are away at a stag do for one of the other senior instructors down in york, sensei just neglected to mention to me that danny was going also and that it would be me taking the class. Hes got a funny memory like that..

 

Obviously I had words with his boss about it. That would be his wife..

[kotegashiNeo]

Laughs trial by fire eh? Whenever I get a mixed bag of students I mean from white to black I work basics kata and simple ippon kumite. Ippon kumite is very controlled so it reduces the chance of injury. I agree with wolves get the higher belt working on their own but keep an eye on them, and you will be just fine

[GrrrArg]

Class has already been on, it went quite well I think. Thanks for the ideas guys.